Device for altering phonograph speed



July 31, 1962 N. CHADE 3,047,296

DEVICE FOR ALTERING PHONOGRAPH SPEED Filed May 5, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet l fill! INVENTOR.

July 31, 1962 N. CHADE DEVICE FOR ALTERING PHONOGRAPH SPEED 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 5, 1960 IIIIIIIIIIIIIII IIIIII/IIIIIIIIIIIII INVENTOR FIG. 5

3,047,296 Patented July 31, 1962 3,047,296 DEVICE FOR ALTERING PHONOGRAPH SPEED Nelson Chade, Rua Santa Efigenia 485, Sao Paulo, Brazil Filed May 5, 1960, Ser. No. 27,215 3 Claims. (Cl. 274-9) This invention relates to improvements in phonographs or recorders and more particularly to devices for altering turn table speeds in specific ratios to adapt the phonograph or recorder to use with different types of record discs varying primarily in their normal playing speeds. The present speed changer has been devised according to the extremest ingenious process of manufacturing with the purpose of characterising a simple, practical and highly efiicient use.

In fact, the improved device in question is remarkable for the more absolute simpleness of its constituting parts, which, associated ingeniously in the assembly, provide ample facilities and advantages of driving and control, as well as full regularity and perfection of motion.

The enclosed drawings illustrate the present invention, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top view, with partial cuts, of the improved assembly in question;

FIGURE 2 is a cut according to-A-A, as shown in FIGURE 1; I

FIGURE 3 is a cut according to B-B, as shown in FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a out according to CC, as shown in FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 5 is the same cut of the previous figure, but

in another position of motion of the assembly.

The invention comprises a fixed base plate 1 having thereon the usual upwardly projecting center pin 2 for carrying a conventional turn table 3 overhanging a vertical stepped drive wheel or shaft 4 of a motor 5 substantially mounted on and below the base 1. Usually the number of steps on the shaft 4 correspond to the number of different desired speeds of the turn table.

A vertical stub shaft 11 fixed on the base, somewhat between the record pin 2 and the motor shaft 4, carries for vertical and turnable or swingable movement a small horizontal plate 8 provided with an upper integral parallel shelf-like member 9 projecting farther in the general direction than does the plate 8. The plate 8 and shelf-like member 9 are both bearingly mounted on the stub shaft 11 to enable said vertical and swinga'ble movement. The plate carries on its outer portion a friction disc 6, mounted for rotation about a vertical axis as by means '7, which disc is engageable selectively with each one of the steps (here four) of the shaft 4 and the inner periphery of the turn table 3, according to the elevation of the plate and to some extent the position of swing. The swing of the axis at 7 is very small and is approximately concentric with the periphery of the turn table and radial to the shaft 4, being biased toward the shaft by a tension spring 11} attached to the shelf-like member 9 and the base 1.

Below the base 1, there is provided a number of radial levers 12, corresponding to the same number of speeds as is intended for the turn table 3, and provided with one more in order to stop it (five then in the case mentioned), each one of them provided with an outside button 13, whose components are represented as a keyboard (FIG- URE 1).

Each arm of lever 12 has a turning point in a groove made in a leg 14, bent downwardly of the same base 1, and having its inner end bevelled upwardly and downwardly to provide upper and lower camming surfaces at 15. Each arm 12 is provided, near to its bevelled end 15, with a curved upwardly directed projection 16, which advances towards the top face of the base 1, through a corresponding groove 17, and only the two lateral prolongations or projections 16 of the first two of levers 12 (two lowest in FIG. 1) of the series are situated outside the plate 8, and all the others (three in the example mentioned), of different lengths and corresponding to the steps of the axle 4, are covered by the horizontal platform 9.

These arms of lever 12 are also held connected to the base 1 through the springs 18.

In front of the bevelled ends 15 of the arms of lever 12 and also below the base 1, two narrow U-shaped upper and lower swingable plates 19 and 20 are mounted to- Wards the top face of the base 1, where they are articulated to a horizontal axle 21, fixed between the ears 22 projecting from the base 1. Of the said plates, the higher one 19 has one of its lateral branches 23 prolonged upwards and engageable with the platform 9.

The upper plate 9 is provided with a depending ear 24 in such position to be engageable with the first (rightmost in FIG. 3) lever 12 at the upper cam surface 15 thereof. The two plates 19 and 20 are spaced sufficiently so that the inner ends of the levers 12 may fit fairly closely between the plates as shown in FIG. 5. The position of the ear 24 is such that the first lever will turn the upper plate rather than enter between the plates as do the other levers. A spring 25 urges the lower plate outwardly and this plate is engageable against the inner edge of the projection 16.

If the first (lowest in FIG. 1) button is depressed for the lever to rock on the leg 14, the upper cam surface 15 swings the lower plate in the general direction of the pin 2 to clear for upward movement of the lever 12 to engage the ear 24 and turn the plate 19 with its upper projection 23. The turning of the projection 23 against the shelflike member 9 swings the latter and disc 6 so that the disc is clear from the step-shaft 4. The lever 12 now rests on the lower plate 20 which has been returned to down position by the spring 25'. The turn table is now at rest.

Upon pressing the adjacent second button, the beveled end of the corresponding lever engages under the lower plate 20 to swing it inwardly thereby to release the previously depressed lever key. As the key is being released, and in fact shortly preceding the release, the projection 16 of the second lever has been raising the swing plates 9 and 8 to the corresponding step on the shaft 11. Thus when the first key and its lever are released by the second key the upper plate 19 and its U extension 23 are drawn by the spring 25 so that the extension 23 permits the swing plate 8, under the influence of spring 10 to swing the disc 6 against the corresponding step of the shaft 4. The extensions 16 of the several levers are of varying length or height according to the steps of the shaft 4.

While it is possible to press successive keys 13 to change from one speed to another, especially in a succession upwardly'as in FIG. 1 to give lower and lower speeds, or 'even skip a key, in normal use the first key is pressed for stopping the turn table between changes of speed. It is also possible that changes to higher speeds may be made by pressing higher speed keys without going through stop position especially if the disc 6 is soft enough to ride from an upper step to a, lower step under the weight of the swing system 6, 8, 9.

As it is seen, the improved assembly described is something really simple, but remarkably practical and ingenrous.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a phonograph speed changer for changing the speed ratio between a motor and a turntable, a step shaft on the motor; a base plate and a vertical shaft post thereon; an horizontally swingable plate bearingly mounted on the post; an axially vertical friction disk mounted on the plate for transmitting motion of the step shaft to the turntable; a shelf-like member fast on the plate and thereabove and extending beyond the plate in the general direction toward the axis of the turntable; a plurality of levers pivotally mounted under the base plate and thereon and having inner end portions extending generally radially toward the axis of the turntable, said portions having upper and lower beveled edges as cam surfaces meeting at substantially a common point, the lever being provided with somewhat arcuate upwardly projecting extensions of differing height for engaging under the shelf-like member to lift same and t the swingable plate for the disc to engage on a preselected step of the shaft, latching means for holding the beveled end portion of respective levers in elevated position.

2. In a phonograph speed changer for changing the speed ratio between a motor and a turntable, a step shaft on the motor, a base plate, a vertical shaft post thereon; an horizontally swingable plate bearingly mounted on the post; an axially vertical friction disc mounted on the plate for transmitting motion of the step shaft to the turntable; a shelf-like member fast on the plate and thereabove and extending beyond the plate in the general direction toward the axis of the turntable; a plurality of levers pivotally mounted under the base plate and thereon and extending generally radially toward the axis of the turntable, and 25 having upper and lower beveled edges as cam surfaces meeting at substantially a common point, and provided with somewhat arcuate upwardly projecting extensions of differing height for engaging under the shelf-like member to lift same and the swingable plate for the disc to engage on a preselected step of the shaft a swingable pending U member mounted below the base plate for the inner end portion of the several levers to rest upon, the upper bevel of the levers being to cam the U-member from under a lever resting on the yoke of the U-member and allow such lever to fall while the inner end portion of another lever rises as high as the U member, and bias means tending to swing the U member under a lever inner end portion when the latter is in elevated position.

3. In a changer as claimed in claim 2, and a second swingable U-member inner of the first and having a yoke above that of the first, and provided with an extension of a leg of the second U member engageable with the shelflike member to swing the disc out of engagement with the step shaft, and an ear depending from the yoke of the second U member to engage the inner end portion of one of the levers so that actuating said one of the levers will cause the disc to swing away from the step shaft.

France Feb. 5, 1957 Germany May 6, 1959 

